In an email to Peter Tan, which was posted on Tan’s Facebook page, Bellew apologised for the events that had transpired during Tan’s flight from KLIA to Bangkok, saying it “was no way to treat another human being”.
“On behalf of the Malaysia Airlines family I humbly apologise. That was no way to treat another human being. Your journey was terrible.
“Excuses. Who really wants to read my excuses? No one I am sure. In your booking we were notified that you were ‘OKU’ which is Bahasa for Orang Kurang Upaya, which means you have a disability and needed simple meet and greet assistance,” Bellew said.
He added that personnel at the check-in counter in KLIA were not aware of the need for an aisle chair for Tan to get into the aircraft, as the relevant code “WCHC” was not indicated in their system.
Tan, in his letter, said he had informed the airline at every point, from the booking of the ticket, to check-in, and at the boarding gate, on the need for the aisle chair, which is a device designed to transport travellers who cannot walk to their seat on an airplane.
Bellew blamed the “global airline process”, saying it was poor and Malaysia Airlines needed to find a “new and better way” for its future customers.
He also said modern commercial aircraft were not designed to accommodate disabled customers.
He said this in response to Tan’s complaint on also having to wait an hour to leave the plane after the flight landed at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.
“I personally will now review the safety of how we speed these exits from our aircraft,” Bellew added.
Following his apology and explanations for the events that transpired on Malaysia Airlines flight MH784 on Feb 1, and which had caused much emotional and physical distress to Tan, Bellew suggested it was best to meet in person.
“I can say sorry all day but I don’t believe that helps you. A more constructive approach I think would be to meet with you in person and members of national organisations that represent people with mobility challenges.
“There has to be a better way to help you. If you will grant me the time, I will arrange to meet you at your home or organise to meet you in Kuala Lumpur,” Bellew said.
Tan’s complaint was also addressed by Bellew as raising a broader question for the airline.
“How can Malaysia Airlines survive in the modern airline industry? Our only hope is to offer extraordinarily good customer service.
“We simply must be the most customer friendly airline in Asia. That will be difficult but it can be done.
“In 2017, we are starting to switch our mindset from pure survival to making the airline the pride of the nation again. That will be a road with many twists but we have made great progress on our journey,” he said.
According to Bellew, who was born and raised in Ireland, the national carrier will now be adopting the golden rule: “Treat other people as you wish to be treated yourself.”
“Kampung boys from Ireland to Malaysia were taught this by their mothers. It’s in the Quran, Bible and every religious text in the world,” he said, adding however that the airline’s staff were sometimes hindered by red tape that prevented them from applying the golden rule with respect to customers.
Bellew said Malaysia Airline’s goal was for the golden rule to encompass every level of the organisation, including the way staff treated their own colleagues, all customers and the environment around them.